An outline of psychology / [William McDougall].

  • McDougall, William, 1871-1938.
Date:
[1923]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: An outline of psychology / [William McDougall]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    104/490 (page 78)
    guish instinctive behavior from that which is moulded by the in¬ fluence of parents and companions. The study of the solitary wasps is almost entirely free from this complication. In each of the species we are to consider, the female wasp emerges full- grown from the grub and proceeds forthwith to lead her solitary life. Alone and without the example or assistance of any com¬ panion, she sets about her task of perpetuating her species. This task is accomplished by a cycle of behavior of several phases: she makes, or finds, a suitable nest for her eggs, lays one or more eggs in it, and deposits beside them a store of ani¬ mal food, which she secures by hunting with much and varied activity. The grub which hatches from the egg feeds upon the prey deposited beside it, and grows; until it in turn emerges a perfect wasp, almost ready to enter upon a similar cycle of ac¬ tivity. Unlike the Yucca moth and many other insects, each wasp performs, or may perform, the cycle of egg-laying many times. After depositing her egg with the supply of animal food, she leaves the nest (generally having first securely closed it) and never returns to it; she proceeds to find or make a new nest and to repeat the cycle. It seems clear, therefore, that the wasp never learns by individual experience the issue of her labors, namely, the birth of offspring like herself. And it seems fairly safe to assume that she has no knowledge and no foresight of this issue of her untiring activity. Her parental care is cer¬ tainly not to be attributed to an intelligent anticipation of ben¬ efits to be received; whether in the form of the pleasures of con¬ tact with her young, or of a proud contemplation and display of her offspring, or of care and attention from them in her old age. It is safe to assume that the institution of old-age pen¬ sions among these wasps would have no appreciable effect on their birth-rate. Such lack of all knowledge of the ultimate issue of action on the part of the performer is sometimes made a part of the defi¬ nition of instinctive action; but this also is an extrinsic and un¬ essential mark. But when it can be confidently inferred, whether in human or animal behavior, it is a sure indication of an in¬ stinctive basis or factor. Various holes are used by the solitary wasps as nests; but